


The High Cost of Loving

by longlost10



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Post-Deathly Hallows
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-05-31
Updated: 2012-05-31
Packaged: 2017-11-06 11:15:28
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 3
Words: 18,392
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/418261
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/longlost10/pseuds/longlost10
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ginny's getting tired of Harry's attitude and finds comfort in a very unlikely source.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Brand New Day

A breeze swept through the darkened alley as the clouds finally parted and let some of the sun's rays onto the street. The street venders occasionally looked up, a few of them with a hint of hatred at the clouds for dispersing, others happy to see the sun. Ginny Weasley didn't care whether the sun was shining or if there was a thunderstorm outside, well, not much anyway. She didn't want to ruin her hair; she worked hard this morning for it to lay perfectly on her shoulders.

She had woken up early, showered and put on a new dress that flattered her curves. It wasn't too extravagant, but a light blue dress that stopped right at her knees. She complemented it with some black pumps that her mother disapproved of and made sure her hair looked perfect before setting off to start the first day of the rest of her life.

At least, that was the plan. At eighteen, she was still without a job and currently fighting with Harry, who was still running on the high of having defeated Voldemort two years ago. She was annoyed as he was always running around, acting as if he was the Minister for Magic.

He knew full well that Kingsley had agreed to be the permanent Minister soon after the Battle of Hogwarts. Harry had entered Auror training and was well on his way to being successful in that branch of the Ministry. But did he help his girlfriend with good marks in school, that also fought Voldemort, get a job, even one that paid minimum wage?

Of course not.

That's why she was walking around wizarding London, just looking for a "Now Hiring" sign. She stopped by a stall on the side and was looking at a small vase painted with intricate swirls and flowers. It might look nice in her kitchen or dining room, which in reality, was probably the same thing.

She owned a small apartment thanks to small jobs around London, but Ginny wanted something more. She wanted to make a name of herself… and to get Harry to stop complaining about her apartment whenever he came over. It wasn't her fault that everyone couldn't bring in nearly 10,000 galleons a month- most of which was people paying to have him endorse their product. People would pay big money to have Mr. Harry Potter's face on their label.

The thought of Harry's arrogant face made anger course through her veins at lightning speed. It only lasted for a moment as pain and the sound of shattering glass brought her back into reality. There were lavender shards of glass around her feet and her hand that previously had held the vase now displayed a few small cuts. Ginny watched a small blood droplet run down the back of her hand.

She looked up at the stall owner in disbelief. She hadn't lost her control of her magic like that in years- not since she was little. Even then it wasn't too bad, a knocked over pan, a broken game. Immediately she started to apologize, the words pouring out of her mouth rather quickly.

"I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to. I don't know what came over me. I haven't lost control of my magic in years. I'm so sorry I-"

Before she could continue to explain or offer him compensation that she didn't actually have, the wizard swept around the stall. The black cloak that he was wearing billowed behind him, briefly reminding her of Professor Snape from Hogwarts. But before she could make any more coherent thoughts about the now enraged man, he shoved her against the brick building a few feet behind her.

When she opened her eyes, which closed when her head hit the brick, a wand was pressed against her throat. She let out a small whimper and looked up and down the alley, hoping that someone would see them and help her. But no one moved- barely anyone even looked up. This, apparently, was a common occurrence and the victims were left to fend for themselves.

The man's raspy voice broke the silence that had taken her over. "You broke my vase." The man's wild graying hair matched the dark, wild eyes that sported rather large bags under them. The wrinkles on his face didn't match his eyes, which seemed youthful, no matter how tired. Ginny brought her head back a little at his breath, which smelled too much like a Dungbomb for her liking. She should have assumed that personal hygiene wasn't on the man's priority list by his dark yellow teeth. "You are a thief. You will pay for your crime."

Ginny tried to move to get her wand out of her purse when the man grabbed her wand arm with his free hand and twisted it painfully. She let a whimper escape her lips as much as she knew she couldn't seem weak to this man. It wouldn't end well if she showed weakness. Her time in Hogwarts and living with six brothers taught her that.

"I didn't mean to. I can- I can give you gold. Galleons." She said, heart racing. She tried to keep her voice strong and steady, but it hurt to talk with the wand pressed so firmly on her neck.

"I wasn't talking about money." The man snarled. Ginny's eyes went wide as her imagination started flying. Of course there was one alternative that her mind immediately leapt to and the prospect of the act with this man terrified her. Half of her could even hear Harry's voice after she came home, crying. Ginny! You were in Dumbledore's Army! Don't tell me you forgot how to protect yourself, how to fight! I defeated Voldemort- I'm sure you can take down a street thug! She was already filling with shame and doubt when she realized the man was starting to speak again. She had all that time to move and what did she do? Stand there petrified and think about how Harry would react. "Now you will come with me and-"

Suddenly, the man stopped speaking, his voice catching as if he had just been gagged. Ginny watched as his eyes rolled back into his head and his body went limp, dropping his wand and falling into Ginny. She caught him momentarily before pushing him to the ground and pulling out her wand. She was either looking for the person who saved her, or just the next enemy of the day. Being Harry Potter's girlfriend made her a target sometimes… but that didn't mean she couldn't handle it!

The voice that she heard wasn't one that she expected to hear. "Put your wand away, Weasley. That's not a way to treat someone who just saved your ass." Ginny turned to see Draco Malfoy standing a few feet away, putting his wand away in his pant pocket. He stood tall in a black suit with a dark emerald green tie that stood out against the white shirt dress shirt he wore underneath.

Her last memory of him, one when they were both back in school, was drastically different than the man standing before him. His pale skin seemed to regain some of the color that it lost during his last stressful years at Hogwarts, and his grey eyes seemed a little brighter than she remembered. Granted, she remembered them also being filled with fear and hatred, but those feelings seemed to have retreated somewhat.

Whether he still had them was beyond her, but she couldn't tell right away- not like she used to. Of course, the way he spoke showed her that while he might be in good terms with the law now, he still saw her like they were still at Hogwarts.

So why should she treat him any different than the arrogant prick she remembered? She shouldn't, that's what it came down to. Ginny scoffed at him and smoothed out her dress before looking up and continuing to what she hoped would be a short conversation. "What do you want, Malfoy?"

He walked closer and quickly looked her over, trying to find injuries that the man could have left on her. "Just making sure you're okay." He said, feigning innocence. "Wouldn't want Potter to know that you almost got cursed with me standing idly by… he'd accuse me of hurting you, wouldn't he?" Draco said. His voice was laced with sarcasm and anger. Ginny knew where the anger was coming from. Harry had tried multiple times to blame Draco for things he didn't do while they were in school. Unsurprisingly, most of the time, Harry was unsuccessful. "What are you doing down here anyway? I didn't think you were the type to come down to this part of London."

Ginny flushed with anger. Why did he keep acting as if they were children in school? He was nearly as bad as Harry. She was forced to grow up during the last few years- she assumed that everyone else had too. But she shouldn't let that bother her too much; maybe it was just his personality. "I could have protected myself, you know." Just because he was immature didn't stop her from defending herself. She just couldn't reach her wand at the time- that was all.

A part of her wanted to let Draco's snipe against Harry go, but the other part reminded her that she was his girlfriend. For shits and giggles, she should defend his honor. "You shouldn't pick on Harry about stuff like that; he's getting better at not jumping to conclusions." Ginny said. It was mostly a lie, but in every lie there is a hint of truth. She wanted to believe that her boyfriend was getting better at not assuming everyone was a Death Eater. Although, she had to admit that the Auror training wasn't exactly helping his problem. "But to answer your question, I'm down here looking for a job."

Draco put his hands in his pockets and Ginny had to say that he looked very good. And convincing. It was as if he knew what he was doing and had a purpose in the world. She didn't really know what Draco was up to nowadays, but clearly he was doing well. Or at least, he was able to easily maintain the image of doing well. "Is Potter not helping you? That's a shame. You'd think that the Boy With A Thousand Lives would be able to get his girlfriend a job."

Ginny rolled her eyes and looked past Draco for a moment before looking him in the eyes. "Give it a rest, Draco. The past is the past." She wondered if he really could tell how immature he sounded calling Harry those nicknames. Then she wondered why she was sticking up for Harry. Draco had done more for her in the last ten minutes than Harry has since she got out of school.

"And no, he hasn't helped me find a job. He's busy doing Auror work. Look, I don't want to talk about Harry, so if you want to talk to him, I'd advise you to owl him. I'm sure he'd be more than welcoming." She said with a hint of anger in her words. She hoped it would go unnoticed.

It didn't.

But instead of mocking, Draco's eyes seemed to soften a little and he seemed to be thinking something over. "Come on, it's almost lunch time. I know this nice cafe a few blocks down that's really good- it's on me. We can talk or something." He offered. Ginny stood in a stunned silence. It took all of her consciousness to keep her jaw off the ground. Draco Malfoy was being nice? And offering to buy her lunch? She must have stayed silent too long trying to get over the shock because he spoke again. "Look, I'm not going to hurt you, I just want to talk and eat. I might even be able to get you an interview for a job." He said. Draco leaned a forward slightly with a small smirk on his face. "I can guarantee it'll be better than whatever job you find around here."

Oh boy. Now the offer was more tempting than she could hope for. Free lunch and a possible job offer? One that wasn't going to destroy her self-esteem and make her wish she was never took the job? While she was sure that she could find both food and a decent job on her own, there was something within her that told her that accepting his offer would be for the best. After another second, she nodded. "Sure. Thanks... I have to admit, I wouldn't have seen this coming." She said with a small shrug.

It was true. Had someone told her that today she'd meet up with Draco Malfoy and end up going to lunch with him, she would have laughed in their face. "Oh well. I guess that's why it's called the unexpected." He shrugged. "Do you mind walking to the cafe? It's not too far..."

Ginny smirked and rolled her eyes. "Just because I'm a little dressed up doesn't mean I can't walk a few blocks, Draco." But this time, her words weren't too spiteful, but more jocular and she wore a small smirk instead of a glare. There was a moment of silence when Ginny was worried that Draco wouldn't pick up the change of the tone in her voice.

But he smiled slightly and nodded before starting to walk down the alley without her. She quickly caught up with him as they passed a few stalls in silence. She realized that they had left that stall owner unconscious in the middle of the alley, but she wasn't sure she cared, not after he attacked her. "So, I guess since you asked me, I can ask you what you were doing down here." She said, a small smile pulling at the corner of her lips.

They turned a corner that brought them out of the alley and into a busy London street. There were more than a few oddly dressed people walking around which told Ginny that they were still in a wizarding area. "Oh. I was just down here for business." She looked over at Draco expectedly. He was down in a shady area of wizarding London on business? Maybe he hadn't changed since Hogwarts. Maybe her first impressions of him were right? "I work with the Department of Magical Law Enforcement."

That took Ginny by surprise. She didn't think that the Ministry would hire him after everything that happened when they were kids. Although it was still unknown to her whether he had a Dark Mark, there had to be Ministry hesitance before hiring him. "Oh really?" She managed to say. She felt that staying quiet for too long was a bad idea. After all, he was being rather nice to her with him saving her from that stall owner and taking her to lunch and all.

"Yeah." He seemed to fall silent, as if contemplating what to tell her. "I work in the Improper Use of Magic Department." She must have looked surprised or he simply wanted to clarify what his job was because he continued. "I make sure that people aren't using magic to influence a sale." It sounded like the type of low end job that a Malfoy wouldn't be caught dead doing before the war. Maybe the hesitance wasn't uncertainty of trust, but rather embarrassment.

She felt bad about making him feel ashamed, even if it wasn't on purpose. She would fix that. "That sounds like a cool job, though. Even if you think it might be a little boring." She said, almost a little awkwardly. Well now, she was just making this mess worse wasn't she? "Well, think of it this way: at least it's better than unemployment." She told him with a grin. She learned once that making fun of yourself when someone felt awkward sometimes made them feel more relaxed. It seemed to work because at her comment, Draco cracked a small smile in return.

"That is true, I suppose. But you'll get a job soon enough." He said. They rounded another corner and a small cafe appeared. Without speaking or warning her that they had reached their destination, Draco walked up the steps and held the door open for her. She entered slowly after him and they got seated immediately in a small booth by a window. "This place isn't magical. Let's not talk about things like that." He said quietly as they sat down on the squishy booth benches.

Ginny found it odd that Draco was accepting of Muggle ways. After how many years of her hearing his hate and spite filled comments from down the hall and repeated by her brothers? It was hard to believe. But here he was, sitting right in front of her, looking over the menu as if this was completely normal for him. "You've changed since the war, haven't you?" She whispered. When Ginny saw Malfoy go rigid and intensify his glare on his menu, she immediately regretted speaking. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean-"

"No. You're right. A lot has happened in the last two years." He said quietly. They fell into a silence as he returned to his menu and Ginny opened her own for the first time. She looked down and looked it over. A lot of things she knew were Muggles specialties while others were familiar to her from her Hogwarts days and from when she lived at home. When the waitress came with two waters, they kept it simple: she ordered a salad and he asked for a sandwich.

When the waitress left with their menus, it was clear they couldn't avoid not talking any longer. "So... other than working in the Ministry, what have you been doing lately?" She said, hoping to avoid a topic that would make him uncomfortable. She brought the glass of water closer to her and held it in her hands, just so they would have something to do.

Ginny looked up in time to see him shrug. "Not much, actually. Most of the first year or so after the war was me and Father trying to convince the Ministry we didn't want to overthrow them." He said it with a dry chuckle, but she knew that the Ministry had every right not to trust them. With over 50 years of hate towards the Ministry, the Malfoy family must have had a rather large note on their file. "I didn't really need a job... Father has enough money that I could go well into old age without having to work a day." Ginny didn't doubt that most of Lucius's fortune was money from generations back and could keep Draco living comfortably for most of his life. "I felt it would be better for my reputation if I got a job- especially one in the Ministry."

Ginny nodded, only kind of knowing what he meant. Her father always had to work to keep the family afloat financially when she was younger. Now, he had Ron and George helping him and her mother, but she remembered what it was like to see her father come back from long nights. It was hard to imagine not having to work.

"I'm sure if you show them that you're dedicated to the Ministry and you do your job well, you'll be fine." She said with an understanding smile, even if she felt like she barely understood it at all. "How are you and Pansy? Last I remember... you two were together. Or at least tolerating each other." She said with a small smirk.

Draco let out a laugh that, as far as Ginny could recall, was the first that didn't have a wicked twist. "Pansy Parkinson? Bloody hell… I haven't talked to her in forever." He said, visibly relaxing now that they strayed away from the topic of the Ministry. "And you know... we were never really officially together. I didn't really fancy many of the girls at Hogwarts at the time." He admitted. "And to be honest, at the time, I was a bit preoccupied by now-lesser things."

The way he smiled after the sentence told her that it was okay to grin, maybe even laugh, at his words. She could tell he was trying to get past that point in his life. Although she didn't know him that well, she could commend him for trying because he was a human being and she knew how hard it was to leave the past behind. "But what about you? I haven't heard much about you at all lately."

She smiled at him as the waitress came and placed their food in front of them. They thanked her and waited until she was gone until Ginny started talking again. "Oh. Just the norm, I suppose. Looking for a job, maintaining a boyfriend..." She said with a shrug. She found it a little odd that Malfoy cared enough about her to ask how she was, but she figured it was just polite conversation for the lunch table. "George proposed to Angelina. You know, Angelina Johnson? The Gryffindor Chaser?" While Draco's mouth was full of food, he managed to politely nod. "So my mum is busy dealing with that. She's just excited that he's doing something with his life other than running the joke shop." She wasn't sure why she told him the bit about her brother. George nearly beat up Draco on the Quidditch pitch just a few years ago.

He must have caught up on that, as he put down his sandwich, and finished swallowing before asking, "Well what about you? How's Pot- Harry?"

Ginny was surprised that he stopped himself from calling Harry by his surname. Maybe he caught onto her annoyance when he did it earlier and called him out for it. Then she thought about her relationship with Harry and she found herself not moving her utensils, just by her thoughts. She quickly started moving again after the realization, not wanting to seem too off. She didn't really want to talk to Draco about Harry, but at the same time, she wanted to talk to someone about it and he was offering.

"We're good. I mean, Harry hasn't changed much since school. It's kind of rocky, actually." She said the last sentence after a moment of hesitation. After another second, "I don't want to talk about it. Not now." Maybe she'd tell them later in their meal. Maybe after it. Maybe never.

He took it better than she could have ever hoped for. "That's fine," Draco said with a soft smile, "we can talk about something else if you like." She smiled gratefully and looked back into her salad, having only taken a few bites. "You know, for a while, I dated this girl, Astoria. Astoria Greengrass. She was awful to be with, so full of herself." Ginny tried to laugh but ended up momentarily choking on a piece of lettuce. "I know, it's... it's ironic, isn't it? After everything I did in school. But I just didn't mesh with her at all. Mother wanted me to keep seeing her, but I had to end it a few months back."

After she swallowed and regained what little composure she lost, she looked at him apologetically. "I'm sorry." She said. "But if you believe in karma, you deserve what you got." She said with a small chuckle.

Draco stared at her for a moment before laughing as well. It was almost as if he was contemplating actually being mad at her. She was glad he took it in stride and let her poke fun at him. "Yes. That's definitely true. It's been nice being single, though. Half the time I go to the singles bars just to laugh at people. It's cruel but," he shrugged with a small smile, "schadenfreude."

Ginny couldn't help but shake her head at him. She wasn't serious in the least, and she could tell that he saw that. It was just as if she were joking with George or Ron again. "I suppose. But it's also nice to have someone there when you need them." She said to him with a soft smile.

They resumed idle chatter throughout the rest of the meal, finally deciding to focus on the food, not the conversation. However, after they both finished eating, they stayed in the small cafe, sipping coffee and enjoying each other's company.

Once it became evident that they had overstayed their welcome (as their waitress' shift had ended fifteen minutes ago and it was starting to show), they decided to get up and start walking again. It was becoming quite evident to Ginny that Draco had indeed changed since the war. He was friendlier to people in general now, not just Muggle-borns and "blood-traitors" like Ginny and her family. He seemed, to Ginny, to have lost that Slytherin trait that made everything he did only benefit himself. He honestly seemed to have reformed over the last two years and it made him all that more approachable.

They had walked aimlessly around the area until Ginny recognized the neighborhood as the one around her apartment. She subtly steered them towards her building as their conversation went from funny Christmas holidays to what they were doing tonight.

"Oh. I don't really have much planed lately, actually. I was just trying to keep things open, in case I did find a job and they needed me to start right away." She told him, bringing a soft shade of pink to her cheeks. After being part of the social scene at Hogwarts, attending parties and sneaking off with boys behind tapestries, having such a dull life seemed laughable.

He smiled and shrugged. "It's alright. Sometimes plans are hard to come by. I know I'm off tonight only because I told Mother after a day at the office, I needed time by myself." Ginny laughed. She never thought of Narcissa as demanding as Draco kept describing to her... maybe the mother just needed constant reassurance that her son was safe and not getting into anymore trouble.

Of course, things may have changed since Harry freed Dobby that one year. Maybe they just never got another house-elf and Draco was meant to fill in when she wanted him. Who was Ginny to guess?

But she smiled at his answer nonetheless. "Well you know... I have a TV and some good Muggle movies. If you want, you can come up and we can just relax and unwind. Not thinking of jobs or mothers." She offered to him. Even though they had gotten to know each other better in the last few hours, he was still one of the people she hated in school. It was weird now offering him a night inside her house without the high risk of a duel breaking out.

Draco looked somewhat surprised, clearly wrapping his mind over what just happened. After a moment, he smiled and nodded. "That sounds brilliant, actually. Just to slow down and get away from reality for a little bit." He said. "Where do you live?"

Ginny shrugged and looked up at the apartment building that they were stopped in front of. "About four stories up... second door on the right." She said with a grin. She motioned for him to follow and held the door open. He walked in after her and kept only a pace or two behind as they went up the stairs. "Just another flight or two. I'm sorry. The elevator's broken." She said as they ascended yet another story.

Most people who she brought up to her apartment became short of breath or struggled breathing around the third story but Draco kept going strong. "No, it's fine." He said, sounding as if they were just strolling down the street. "You don't fix it by magic then?" He asked. Ginny could just imagine the smirk on the boy's face as they reached the fourth landing. She opened the door that opened out into the main hallway and led Draco to the right door. "406." He said, with a mock nod of approval.

She laughed and shrugged a little. "Move in was annoying, but it works fine for me." She said, putting the key into the lock. She turned the handle and walked inside her apartment, feeling at home at last. Sure, she could barely afford it, but it was hers- she maintained it and Harry wasn't involved. Ron was, to an extent... he was helping Ginny own her first apartment which he knew she was struggling to afford, even if it was on the cheaper side of things. It wasn't so much that she felt guilty, but enough to help her out every month. "Come on in and take a seat, I'll get you a drink. What do you want? Butterbeer? Firewhiskey? Water?" She asked him, crossing over into the kitchen.

The apartment was on the small side, but it was comfortable all the same. The living room had a half full bookshelf, a couch, small coffee table and a television which sat on a small shelving unit. The kitchen had a few cabinets, a stove, refrigerator and sink while an island in the middle of the room served as a dining room of sorts. Off the hallway were a bathroom and a single bedroom, both of which were technically shared by both Ginny and Harry, but more by the former. Ginny looked over to Draco, who was now sitting on the sofa, just in time to hear his answer. "A butterbeer would be nice. What movies do you have?" He asked.

"Oh, the collection is on the shelf. You can look through them yourself. Pick your favorite." She said, turning her back to him and looking through the refrigerator for two butterbeers. She heard him get up and start to flick through the DVD cases.

Then she heard a small chuckle. "A child's movie?" She turned around to see Draco holding Toy Story up to her. "I understood you having The Matrix and Mrs. Doubtfire, but a movie about toys?" He asked her with a small grin.

"Hey now... don't knock it until you've seen it." She laughed, walking over to him and giving him the bottle of liquid. "I fell in love with it the first time I saw it. It's won awards and everything." She said, sticking her tongue out at him and swiping the movie out of his hands. She went over and put it in the DVD player and pressed 'play'.

As the movie started, she walked over to where Draco had reclaimed his seat on the sofa and sat down next to him. She opened her butterbeer and took a drink, letting the liquid warm her up. The movie passed with a few witty comments between them, but overall they were both pretty immersed into the movie. It was one of Ginny's favorites so she stayed pretty quiet and Draco was watching it for the first time. It was only polite for them to stay quiet for the duration. Towards the end while Woody and Buzz chased after the moving van, Draco carefully wrapped his arm around her shoulders and she found herself leaning in towards him.

Right before the credits were about to roll, an owl swooped into her open window and landed on the coffee table in front of them. Ginny groaned slightly and reached forward to detach the message from the owl's outstretched leg. In the folded piece of parchment was a note written in Harry's chicken scratch handwriting.

_Ginny- How about dinner tonight? I'll drop by your place in 15. -Harry_

She couldn't suppress the second groan that escaped her. She was not in the mood to let this perfectly good time with Draco go in return for dinner with Harry. The cheerful song playing as the credits rolled made the whole moment even worse. Draco withdrew his arm from around her and stood up; he must have read the note as well. "I guess I'm going to head out. I'll get back to you about that job interview. I'll see if they're hiring. Thanks for the fun time." He said with a smile.

She gave a stupid grin as she watched him move towards the door. Ginny found the words coming out of her mouth before she could stop herself. "Wait… before you leave… what's your address?" She asked. Towards the end of the question, her voice had turned hesitant, as if she was suddenly regretting the decision to speak. Draco turned around to look at her with a semi-confused look on his face. "You know, so we can do this again." She said, making up the excuse on the spot. She did want to meet up with him again; they were having a nice time before Harry decided to stick his big head in.

But Draco didn't question it at all. Instead he shook his head with a mischievous little smile playing on the corner of his lips and crossed back over to her. He walked over to the coffee table, pulled over a quill and jotted down his address on one of the many scraps of parchment that littered the small table's surface.

When he straightened up again, she wore that stupid smile again. "Thanks again for the entertainment." He said, leaning over and kissing her briefly on the cheek. When he pulled away, his pale skin had a tint of red on it and soon after, the door closed behind him.

Ginny stared at the door for a moment before she started clearing up the small mess they had made, preparing the place for Harry. While her body moved around the apartment, her mind was still stuck in the room with Draco Malfoy. He had kissed her, and they had both blushed. Why? They had just reconnected for the first time since his Death Eater days. The last time she saw him, she was mourning Fred's death for the first time. But it was enjoyable, wasn't it? The butterflies in her stomach told her that it had been. But were those butterflies for Draco or for Harry?

The more she thought about her official boyfriend, the more her stomach twisted in discomfort. Why had she let Draco kiss her? She was already with someone- Harry Potter! Any girl in the wizarding world would kill to be in her position, and yet she let another man press his lips against her. Even if it was just on the cheek, it was still something.

While her mind kept racing, her body went through the motions. By the time that Harry opened the door, she had subconsciously prepared grilled cheese sandwiches for them to share for dinner. "Hey Gin." Harry's voice brought her back into reality and the present. She turned and looked over at him, sending a smile his way out of habit. His dark hair was, of course, sticking out in all directions and his emerald eyes seemed to be beaming.

"Brilliant day at the office, really. Ron came by and asked me to help him with human disguises. Shame he hasn't really caught on yet, seeing as it's going to be on our Auror test." Harry dropped his small pack on the couch and sat on one of the stools that surrounded the island. "It was nice seeing him though... he and Neville are always in a different wing during training." He reached forward and started to eat some of the sandwiches that she had piled there. "It's a shame. So, what did you do today?" He asked with his mouth full of sandwich.

She resisted the urge to scoff at him, instead deciding on another soft smile in his direction. Just because her brother and her boyfriend were best friends didn't mean they had to act so similar. But the question remained unanswered as Ginny debated telling him about Draco, about everything she did today. "Oh. Nothing really." She said in the end. Harry didn't have to know everything about her; she was justified to some secrets, wasn't she? That kiss would be taken to her grave anyway.

If there was hesitance or shyness in her voice, he didn't pick up on it or just didn't comment on it. She liked to think the former. "Oh good because I had a really long day…" Harry said, still munching on his sandwich. He spoke continually for the next half hour or so, leaving Ginny to just eat her dinner and listen to him.

The most exciting point of the discussion was when she needed to charm the kitchen to make another plateful of sandwiches. But she sat and smiled at him, only showing wear towards the end. Finally, he stopped speaking and looked at her expectedly. She realized she had to respond and struggled to remember his question. "So, what do you want to do tonight?" He repeated, looking at her.

Ginny didn't really want to do anything… not with him anyway. "I'm actually thinking about just going to bed. I'm sorry Harry. You're welcome to stay if you want. If not, just lock up when you leave, okay? I really am sorry." She said, trying to be sincere. To make sure that he thought her as honest, she leaned across the island and gave him a gentle kiss on the lips.

With that, she turned away from him and walked into her bedroom, closing the door behind her. She changed into an oversized t-shirt and crawled under the covers. Something just didn't feel right anymore. She decided just to close her eyes and relax, trying desperately to go to sleep and let the next day come. Maybe today really was just a dream and her time with Draco never even happened. With him in her thoughts, she drifted off into an uneasy sleep.

Her dream didn't worry her as she was known to have some strange dreams when she was worried about something. Draco had come over and they were watching another movie that was so unimportant, it had no title. He turned towards her and kissed her on the lips slowly, letting Ginny savor every moment. There was nothing exchanged between them, not a look nor a moan, but the kiss got deeper.

His tongue entered her mouth and familiarized itself, mapping it out as his hand traveled up her hip. Suddenly the scene changed and she was now laying naked on her couch with an unclothed Draco hovering over her. He thrust his hips forward and despite the pain shot through her, she smiled silently, beckoning him to continue. And so he did. But this time the pain was more pronounced and caused her to open her eyes, gasping loudly.

The rude awakening from her dream was caused by Harry, suspended over her. His hands were holding her breasts, now without the protection of her nightshirt which she spotted laying in a heap on the floor. The pain shot through her again as she realized Harry was naked as well. She let out initially a moan of pleasure which turned into a moan of pain at the feeling of him filling her. "Harry!" She gasped.

Harry seemed to realize that she was now paying attention to the fact he was in her without her initial consent. "Shh… It'll all be okay. Just stay quiet." He murmured. He withdrew and drove into her, this time with more anger and need. She bit back a groan, now wanting only to disappear back into the dreamland she was awoken from. Everything about this was wrong and intrusive and she wanted out of this whole situation. It wasn't like a Saturday night and they were both drunk and it was a mix of pleasure and regret. This was something that was not only painful, as her body was against the idea, but her mind was still in shock it was happening.

"Harry. Stop." She said, wanting nothing else but for him to listen to her for once. He ignored her, like always, and kept relentlessly driving into her. "Harry, please!" She raised her voice now, trying to maintain an illusion of control and the fear out of her voice. He gripped her breasts harder and she could feel his nails digging into her skin. "Harry! James! Potter!" She cried between thrusts, tears now starting to appear in her eyes. Every movement of his hips became another moment of regret of not kicking him out earlier.

The look on his face was nothing short of maddening. His green eyes were now dark and the smile he wore was one that she remembered Sirius wearing in the wanted posters. "Say my name, bitch. Scream it." He hissed. She didn't scream, but went closer to mild hysterics, crying and trying to push him away. She pushed her hands against his chest as hard as she could, hoping either he would pull out or get the hint. All that he did was grumble, "Get off me" and squeezed her breasts harder, as if that would stop her from pushing her hands against his face. But with a new thrust towards her, he one handedly shoved Ginny's hands away.

Shame kept her pushing back against him and crying, prompting her tears to fall faster. After a few moments, Harry reached past her to where she knew her nightstand was and came back to his original position, holding his wand and pointing it at her. His mouth opened but Ginny's world went black.

When Ginny woke up, her nightshirt was on and she was curled up into a tight little ball. She was also alone. She didn't dare move; all her energy was focused on trying to determine what part of last night was real and what was a dream. She moved slightly and felt a sharp pain between her legs. With that feeling stirring a memory, Ginny closed her eyes, feeling the tears starting to form. She now knew what part was real and it only made her curl up tighter and let the silent tears fall faster.


	2. Picking up the Pieces

Ginny stayed that way for what seemed like hours, slowly letting her pain pour out onto her pillow, staining it. Her mind was still reeling over the events of last night but she knew she had to accept what happened. What unsettled her more was the fact that she was able to lay on her bed for so long- Harry had left her alone in her apartment after he was done last night. In all likelihood, he was back at work and talking to his friends as if nothing happened. Her mind made the decision- she had to get up and do something. She couldn't just lie there, no matter how much her body protested the idea of getting up and being productive.

So with that, she forced herself upright and walked slowly into the bathroom to take a shower. As she pulled off her nightshirt and looked herself in the mirror, she saw ten small cuts, five on top of each breast. She closed her eyes and breathed in deep for a moment before turning the hot water on high and stepping under the showerhead. The shower was long and consisted mostly of her just standing under the tap and letting the water cover her completely. When she got out, the cool air hit her body and prompted a shiver to down her spine and gooseflesh to appear.

Her legs seemed heavier than normal as she walked back to her bedroom and started to change back into clothes. She chose Muggle attire once more, deciding on a tan sweater and jeans that were probably slightly baggier than she normally would have worn. Part of her felt strange in her own skin which was a feeling she only remembered feeling once before back in her first year. After nights that Voldemort possessed her, she remembered waking up and not feeling comfortable for a few hours. She supposed this was sort of the same, except with a different prompting event.

She walked into her living room, then to the kitchen, then back into her bedroom. There was no purpose, just wanderings for the sake of moving. She had no job to distract her, no normal schedule for her to follow. It was about eight in the morning, so the world was open to her- no matter how unappealing it sounded. She could go out and look for an odd job to do, but she didn't want to go talk to a random person right now. She needed someone who she could trust that she could talk to, a confidante of sorts.

Ginny sat down on her couch and stared at her table. But who could she go to? Her mother approved so highly of Harry that if Ginny told her what happened, she wouldn't believe her daughter. Everyone she knew praised Harry so much that no one would take her word. But a hastily written address on a torn off piece of parchment told her where she could go. She stood up, grabbed her purse and turned on her heel.

Less than a second later, she appeared in an alleyway that sported many dumpsters and multiple laundry lines full of clothes. She walked out to the main road and navigated her way to Draco's apartment building. It was clear that despite him having a low-end job, he still lived up to the Malfoy standard as there was a man waiting outside the building, ready to open the door for her. She walked through the doors the doorman was holding for her and started walking up the stairs. Ginny got to the second landing and walked down the hall. 201… 202… 203… 204… she kept going until she reached 212 and then knocked on the door.

She only had to wait a minute or so before the door opened to reveal Draco in a white t-shirt and black shorts. "Ginny." He sounded surprised. "What are you doing here?" Now he also looked surprised. And was that a hint of worry on his face? She couldn't tell. When she didn't answer right away, he stood back and opened the door wider, motioning her in. She smiled gratefully and entered his flat.

It was a very nice place, she had to admit. There was a full kitchen in the far corner and had a hallway shooting off of the main common area that she could tell housed a few more rooms. She walked over to his leather couch and sat down before slipping off the flats she wore on her feet so she could pull her legs up against her chest without feeling bad that she put her feet on his sofa. "Thanks." She said quietly as Draco crossed the room to sit next to her. "It was a long night."

He gave a small smile as she talked. Ginny could tell it was mostly him showing probably-fake sympathy, but she wasn't sure she cared too much. "Do you want to talk about it?" Draco asked her. In that moment, she was suddenly unsure of whether or not she wanted Draco to know about what happened last night. After all, it wasn't really his place, as their relationship was private between her and Harry. But she felt that Harry's actions last night ruined the sacredness of their relationship… telling Draco wouldn't hurt. In fact, she needed to talk to him. To someone. And he was perfect, wasn't he? After all, he was offering to listen…

So with a slightly shaky voice, she told Draco what happened the previous night. It wasn't much, just a brief outline of the events and how they unfolded. She left out her dream, which she remembered vividly. Instead she decided to say, "I went to bed and the next thing I knew Harry was hovering over me…" and kept going, putting details in. Nothing too bad or inappropriate, but she kept emphasizing how much she protested against Harry's motions. "… and so I decided to come here." She ended, almost a little lamely. During her retelling of her night, she had curled up further into her ball and Draco's look of fake-sympathy turned to a weird mixture of horror and stiffness.

He stayed silent for another few moments, his hands clenched into fists. Ginny knew that he was suppressing rage that stemmed from their school years. "I can't believe he did that to you." He said; his voice barely above a growl.

Ginny knew this was a danger sign, no matter what boy she was dealing with. "Draco… he just… lost control. This was the first time he did something like this." It seemed like a weird way to calm him down, but it was all she could think of. In fact, most of her thoughts were so jumbled that she was confused over her feelings by themselves. She didn't need rational thinking to come into play and confuse her farther.

Unsurprisingly, her desperate attempt to calm him did not work. "Ginny! This isn't something you brush off." He said, straightening up and looking at her sternly. Momentarily, she regretted the decision to come and talk to him- he was treating her like a child. Was he seriously that stuck in the past that he forgot she grew up? She thought different yesterday and the horrifying thought of if she was wrong crossed her mind. "Why are you defending him? He took your virginity and you weren't even conscious for most of it! That's completely-"

"He didn't steal my virginity!" She said, almost appalled that he would think that it was her first time. "My virginity didn't even go to Harry, if you must know." She muttered, now avoiding his eyes. Of course Harry didn't take her virginity… the memory played back to one of the first days of her fifth year. She and Dean wanted to celebrate being back at Hogwarts so they grabbed a small crate of Firewhiskey from the kitchens and spent the night in his dormitory. She had led him to her brother's bed where she felt the pleasure of a man for the first time.

And it wasn't like she and Harry hadn't had sex before, either. Merlin's beard, they had been together for nearly three years! If they hadn't had sex by now… she let the thought die in her head. She felt her cheeks heating up rapidly between her thoughts and the look Draco was giving her. His expression wasn't one that was scolding or mocking, just a small smirk on the edges of his lips. Even though she knew it was mostly in jest to calm her down, she avoided his eyes as if trying to remember every detail of his sitting room. She barely even comprehended his movement across the couch until his arms were wrapped around her in a gentle hug. "Are you going to be okay?" His breath tickled her ear in a way that brought a small smile to her face despite her situation.

With her head resting gently on his shoulder, she nodded and loosened the grip on his shirt she didn't realize she had. "Yeah… I think so." She whispered, pulling away from him slightly. She didn't mind that his arms were still around her, letting herself enjoying the sense of security that Draco currently provided. "I just… needed to tell someone." The words sounded weird on her tongue but she said them anyway. "I'll be fine… I just needed to talk to someone who wasn't going to disown me for talking badly about the great Harry Potter." She said with a small smirk towards him.

"Let me tell you, I won't do anything of the sort." He told her with a small wink. "It'll be okay, you know?" Draco said quietly, rubbing his hands up and down her arms. She nodded at him with a small smile on her face; finally feeling comforted… maybe she'd be able to get past this incident.

The words escaped her before she even knew she thought about voicing them. "I don't want to go home, Draco." The words were whispered to him with a hint of desperation hidden in between the syllables. She could tell there was a fear in her eyes, because there was a fear in her stomach. She didn't want to face Harry after last night… not since he left her.

His hand reached up and brushed a stray hair away from her face and behind her ear. It was cheesy romantic but it made her smile nonetheless. The words that followed the action nearly brought her to tears. "You don't have to." They were whispered, as if either of them talking at a normal volume would cause their world to implode. "You can stay here for a while if you'd like." Ginny about melted right there and then on his couch in his arms. She felt like an emotional wreck and everything he was saying just seemed to be what she wanted to hear.

"I'd love that." She said, looking up at him. "Thank you." Her smile was genuine and she knew she made the right choice to come to him. The smile slowly faded away when he pulled away from her and stood up. "Where are you going?" She asked quietly, wanting him to stay with her as long as she could convince him to.

Draco stretched, the little egotistical smile from their childhood creeping up on his face. "I have to work today, Ginny. I'm already a little late." He said. "Do you really expect me to go to out like this?" Draco motioned to his night shirt and shorts that he was wearing.

She gave a little smirk and shrugged. "I don't know what the Ministry requires as a uniform, Draco." She said. "Although, I have to say that if that was the uniform, more people might want to work there. Or at least take tours." Ginny said with a small giggle.

He just shook his head and disappeared into the side hallway. She heard a door open and then close before she returned to looking about his living room. However, thanks to their semi-awkward silence earlier, she had most of the room already in her head. She got up and looked at the books on the shelf, wrapping her arms around her as she read the titles. There were a few spell books, a fiction or two, but most were law books. She reached up and pulled one from the shelf, skimming it briefly. It covered loopholes and wizarding law, which she could only imagine that he used to get their family record relatively clean after the Second Wizarding War.

She had heard much between her family and Harry how upset people were over the Malfoy's lack of punishment after the war. They got off with only minor charges and punishments which seemed to be solely Draco's doing. She heard a door open so she closed the book and slid it back into its place before turning back to the mouth of the hallway. Draco stood in his normal dapper attire, a pair of black pants and a button down shirt, but he held a cloak in his hands, as if apprehensive of putting it on. "You have a nice collection." She said almost stupidly, nodding towards the bookshelf.

"Thanks." He said, deciding to don the cloak. "Look, I'll be back in a few hours, alright? I'll try to take some vacation days or something. Make yourself at home. Your room is the first on the left." Draco said, fastening the cloak around his neck. "Just… make sure you don't break anything." He said with a smirk, moving towards the door and turning the handle.

She smiled at him appreciatively. "You don't have to waste your vacation days. I can stay by myself, I promise. Maybe I'll even go out job hunting." While she said the last bit with a bitter laugh, but she knew most of her day today would be spent either on the couch or on her new bed curled up with her knees to her chest and wand by her side.

With a small shrug, he sighed. "Whatever you want, Ginny. I'll be back before sundown, promise." He gave a small smile and left the apartment, leaving her alone once more.

The first few days of living with Draco crawled by, as if trying to torture her. It was mostly her fault as her mind still on Harry and that night, not entirely sure she wanted to forget it completely. In the beginning, he listened to her and went into work, doing his job. But as days went on, Ginny seemed to look exponentially worse, rarely sleeping more than four hours a day and sometimes skipping meals. In the middle of the second week of her stay, Draco started to ask for days off for either personal health or vacation. Ginny didn't ask, nor did she care too much.

The days with Draco were spent outside the apartment, just the two of them. They enjoyed taking walks, going to restaurants (as long as there wasn't alcohol involved) and going to the park just to relax a little. They mostly went to Draco's choice of restaurants, but to be fair, it wasn't like she was making too many suggestions where to go. The one thing they made sure to avoid was going near Ginny's apartment.

However, a few days after her second week at Draco's place ended, she decided it was time to try to acclimate herself back into her apartment and old lifestyle. While the nights were spent at with Draco, either talking or just being alone, most of her days were spent in her own apartment trying to make it feel like a home again. But… after so much time spent at Draco's, it appeared that her smaller apartment didn't seem as homey as it used to. She knew it wasn't the size of the apartment- the size of a room was never important after growing up in the Burrow. But there was something about her apartment that made it seem ever more foreign.

One day Harry stopped by, opening the door with the key she forgot he had and walking into the living room, looking for her. At the sound of the door opening, Ginny left the bedroom where she was folding laundry and walked out into the living room to see him holding a bouquet of flowers.

"Ginny." His voice was breathless and it sounded as if he had just run from whatever flower shop he bought the tulips from and up the four flights of stairs. He wasn't sweaty, though which made her wonder if he was just pretending to be out of breath.

She didn't fall for it though, and remained hesitant, not running to him looking for a hug. "What do you want, Harry?" She moved over into the kitchen where they had happily eaten dinner just a few weeks ago.

He took a few semi-hesitant steps towards her, offering her the bouquet. "To apologize." Ginny scoffed and turned her back to him, heading to the sink and rinsing a clean glass in the sink. There was no sound from behind her until she stopped and turned around. Harry had walked quietly to the island in the kitchen where he placed the flowers. "I was in a mood, I'm sorry."

The look on Harry's face was oddly pathetic and the flowers really were wonderful…

Ginny mentally shook herself. Who was she kidding? She could probably never forgive Harry for what he did, much less take him back. "You better have more than that up your sleeve, Harry Potter…" She said, shooting him a look. He had to be joking, just coming to her with flowers and saying he was 'in a mood'.

"Okay. I know that what I did was wrong. It was beyond wrong-"

Ginny rolled her eyes and crossed her eyes, trying to ignore him being human for the first time in what seemed like weeks. "Really?"

"Yes. I'm sorry, Gin." With those words, it seemed like desperation was coming out of him. She finally looked up and met his eyes, seeing not The Boy Who Lived in all his glory, but a man begging to get his girlfriend back. "It's gotten really stressful at the office and your brother isn't exactly the sharpest tool in the shed when it comes to spells and instead of Hermione helping him they choose me to-"

"Don't you dare try to point this at Hermione, Harry. Don't you dare." She said angrily. Not yelling at all, but a harsh whisper and glare into his direction. Not only was Hermione one of her good friends through school, she helped Ginny out a lot after they both finished as well.

Harry seemed to have realized the mistake in his wording, because he grew a faint red tint around his cheeks. She could only really tell the change of coloring on his face because they had spent so much time together over the years. However, with the change came a flash of anger across his eyes. "But if she had just spent time with Ron, I wouldn't have to spend so much overtime at the office-"

Ginny couldn't believe her ears. "Are you telling me, oh Chosen One, that because of your bad day at the office, you decided to watch me sleep and then take advantage of my hospitality? Not only that, but blaming the events that led to it onto your two best friends- one of which is my brother?" The venom in her voice stood out as she spoke. How dare he try to blame Ron and Hermione?

At her words, the anger went away and the desperation came back. "No… I didn't mean it like that. Not at all…"

"I don't want to hear what you meant then." She said, staring at him. Her voice was low and dark. "I don't want to hear any more of this either. Please go." She looked at him with borderline pleading eyes, the same ones that he stared at her with only moments ago.

But Harry wasn't in the mood to leave, not yet. "It wasn't my fault, Ginny! I'm sorry, I promise!" She shook her head and crossed her arms, slowly starting to slide her wand out of her sleeve. "Don't look at me like that! What do you want me to say? What do you want me to do?"

"I want you to get out of my apartment, Harry!" Instead of listening to her, Harry took a few more steps towards her before she took her wand out and pointed it at her face. "You seem to forget how good I am at Bat-Bogey Hexes, Harry." She said quietly.

Less than a half hour later, Ginny appeared in front of Draco's door, not bothering with the apparition point a few blocks away. Her wand was away, tucked up her sleeve once more but her knees still shook over the thought of Harry. It wasn't the anger towards her that scared her, but the lies that he'd tell to make what he did right. She brought her hand up and knocked on the door; despite living there for over 2 weeks, she still was hesitant about using the key that Draco gave her. When he opened the door, she felt oddly rigid and cold, even as he spoke with a smile on his face. "You know you don't have to knock."

She responded with a quiet "Harry came by today" before walking past him and sitting down on the couch. The place that once caused her discomfort was now a place of safety and warmth. Both of those feelings were amplified when Draco sat down beside her, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close to his chest. Surprising herself, she turned into him and wrapped her arms around his, burrowing her face into the space where his shoulder, chest and neck all converged into one.

Ginny felt his hand run up and down her back; sending warm shivers down her spine as she relaxed into him. "Did he hurt you?" He asked her quietly. She shook her head in his chest, just wanting to feel his unwavering stability and reliability. Draco wouldn't knock her down day after day, night after night. He wouldn't ask for food and sex before leaving to hang out with her brother. She felt a rough hand gently pick up her chin before she found herself staring into his deep grey eyes. "Nothing's going to hurt you while I'm around. Especially Potter. Got that?"

At his words, her heart swelled. She didn't even care that he called Harry his surname, or the overwhelming disgust that laced the name. All she could think of was how much the two most influential boys in her life had changed from their school days. Harry once cared about her, and about them but now wouldn't give her the time of day. Draco, on the other hand, hated her for most of her life and only recently lowered his metaphorical wall that kept people out and let her in. Her hand traveled up his shirt and to his cheek while she continued to stare into his endless eyes.

With only a moment's hesitation, she brought her lips to his and kissed him gently. Something within her stirred as their lips moved against each other. It was different than kissing Harry because she wanted to kiss him. Harry, over the years, had started to ignore her- pay her no mind. Draco seemed quite the opposite. The more they saw each other, the more they spoke, the more interested he became with her. She knew he was interested in her personality, not her looks, as their conversations about philosophies and stories amused them for hours. The more she thought about it, the harder she kissed him.

There were a few moments that Draco kissed back, biting back on her bottom lip before he pulled away, leaving only a hairbreadth of space between them. "Ginny-"

"No."

Their words were whispered, only breaths on the others lips. Ginny didn't want to argue with him today. She just wanted it to happen the way it was playing out.

"You're with Harry… I shouldn't." Draco lowered his eyes and turned his head away. There was something in his face that told Ginny that was the last thing he wanted to tell her.

So she glared at him and gently forced his head back towards her. "Since when have you listened to the rules?" She whispered, a smirk playing on her face. Ginny leaned in and kissed him again, this time gently, if only to comfort him in his choice. She pulled away and ran her hands down to his collar which she toyed with as she talked. "Tomorrow I'm going to find Harry and talk to him." Her fingers slowly unbuttoned the top button of his shirt before patting down the collar, smoothing it out. "And I'm going to leave him. He isn't worth it. He makes excuses for everything, really…"

Ginny felt his hands on her hips, unsure of what to make of the pressure that he was applying. His fingers seemed hesitant to hold her closer. "Are you sure?" He asked her quietly. There was uncertainty in his voice and on his face, but he leaned in and took her lips in his.

In that split moment, she decided that she wanted his safety and his touch more than anything. It was already guaranteeing to be more than Harry would ever give so she didn't even consider pushing him away. Instead she kissed him back, enjoying the sensation of his arms pulling her closer to him. Her tongue slowly mapped his mouth before he pushed back and took a turn exploring. When they broke apart to breathe, his left hand went from her hips to her hair, running his fingers through the red waves. Ginny kissed his neck as she melted even further into him and his hold. Nothing had ever felt like this before- not with Harry, not with Dean. Not with anyone.

As her lips traveled up his neck, she heard him bite back a moan. A sweet spot. She returned there to suck for a moment before journeying back up towards his ear. Ginny stayed there for a minute before Draco pulled her onto his lap and took her lips in his, silently telling her what type of influence she was having on him. She turned so her legs were around him and he didn't really seem to mind as their lips stayed lock throughout the adjustment.

His right hand went from her thigh and down the front of her pants, touching her there, making her shiver slightly. She opened her mouth to say something but Draco moved to take her lips in his once again. "Draco." She breathed before their lips sealed and his hand started to stroke her. She refused to let herself shiver or twitch against his touch so she gripped his shirt harder, pushing herself into him. They pulled apart as he moved his hand from between her legs to take hers and play with her fingers. "No." She said quietly, staring at their entwined hands. She could still imagine his gentle fingers on her sensitive skin and wanted nothing more to feel it again. Why'd he have to pull away?

He seemed to take pleasure in the desire in her voice. "Follow me." He said, just as quietly as his name had been uttered when he first touched her. He lifted her off of him and started to lead her towards his bedroom. She hadn't been inside it before but she didn't really didn't have time to observe her surroundings.

The minute they were inside his room, Draco had starting pulling her towards him, pulling off her shirt. Even with the sweater over her head, Ginny's hands found the buttons of his shirt and started to undo them, only pausing for him to take off her shirt completely. It took only about a minute or so, getting their clothes off and leaving them in their underwear. It wasn't coordinated- just a mad dash to get the cotton and silk off their bodies.

Ginny felt strong hands grip her butt cheeks as she was lifted off her feet and held against him. She squealed in a mixture of joy and fright as she wrapped her legs around his thighs. "Are you okay?" He asked her in response before taking her mouth in his and pressing her back against the wall.

Her hands tangled in his hair as his lips moved from her mouth down her neck. "Yeah, I'm fi-" Ginny's words left her in a gasp as she felt a finger enter her horribly wet folds. As his fingers moved, Draco's lips stopped momentarily, as if shocked slightly at the situation as well. Without any sort of communication between them, his lips reattached to hers and a second finger joined the first, pushing upwards carefully.

"Draco…" She whispered his name against his own lips, her eyes closed. She opened them just for a moment to see the lust that she knew was in her brown eyes reflected back in his grey ones. The look on his face told her that they both knew what they both wanted to happen and that, by Merlin, it was going to happen.

His fingers withdrew as Ginny's underwear fell to the floor and their limbs instantly tangled in a mess of kisses and movement as they started towards his bed. Every now and then, their bare sexes would touch and one of them would pull the other faster towards the bed.

When she was pushed onto the mattress, she didn't mind at all. Instead, she lay there on the bed, looking up at Draco in all his fine glory. Sure, his six pack wasn't clearly defined and he wasn't all muscle (although, who was she kidding, he mostly was), but he was still as sight to see. He leaned over, putting his weight on his arms that were on either side of her as they resumed kissing. Their hands explored their naked bodies, both of them familiarizing themselves with the new skin. Ginny reached between them and cupped his cock, making him whimper quietly as she started to run her fingers down the length.

"Oh, don't tell me that's all you got." He whispered through grit teeth.

Ginny couldn't help but grin at his words. "Of course not... you just have to put forth more of an effort for me to be convinced that I should try for you." She said jokingly as she took her hand away from his shaft to pull his hand away that was playing with her breast.

He sent her a small grin before letting his lips travel down her body. When he got to her chest, his tongue toyed gently with her nipple. After a minute or two, he crossed to the other side and spent equal attention to that breast as well. Ginny let out quiet moans of pleasure, never having experienced anything like this from any other boy.

She gripped his shoulders, letting herself enjoy the feeling of his mouth going lower and lower. Before long, she felt his tongue touch where his fingers were only moments ago. She gasped his name before pulling him back up to eye level and kissed him with as much passion as she could manage. Their separated only momentarily, locking eyes as if to confirm what was going to occur.

Draco parted her legs with his knee (it wasn't hard, as Ginny welcomed him with a small, almost taunting smile) and carefully slid into her. She let a moan of pleasure escape at the feeling of him inside her, which sent her mind unnecessarily reeling. She thought again of how any time with Harry was inferior to this very moment, and they had barely gotten started. She didn't have time to worry about Harry as he was driven out of her mind about five seconds later. Draco started of slow and gentle, smiling at her and speaking soft nothings whenever his lips passed her ear. Then, randomly, he would decide that they should go faster, go harder and screams of pleasure from Ginny would escape her lips.

She push up to meet him halfway, wrapping her arms under his and pulling him towards her, wanting to have his body closer to her. They moved as one unit, thrusting into each other and working together for that moment of pleasure that the situation was giving them.

Time had no place in her mind as they moved together, but it seemed to end all too soon. Ginny came first, of course, holding on to Draco as if he were a flotation device in the sea of bliss she was currently drowning in. He followed her shortly after, calling out her name before falling beside her. He only rested for a moment before taking Ginny in his arms and holding her close to him.

"I love you."

His breath tickled her ear as she snuggled up into him. There was a small pain between her legs but for the first time she wasn't exactly sure she cared at all. But while this was probably the best thing that had happened to her in months, the words settled uneasy in her. She lay still and closed her eyes, pretending to sleep curled up next to Draco to avoid saying something in response.

There was a slight shift of his body before it settled once more. A few minutes later, his breathing evened out and she knew he was asleep. It took her much longer than a few minutes to fall asleep lying on Draco like she did. Every so often she'd get a shiver that'd run up her body and when she looked down, her nipples stood at attention. Eventually, she closed her eyes and focused, trying her best to fall asleep.


	3. Settling Down

_Tap. Tap. Tap._

The next morning the sound of talons hitting glass woke Ginny up from the lightest sleep she had ever experienced. She kept waking up throughout the night, shifting her position on Draco's chest slightly as memories of the night and words spoken ran through her head. It didn't make for a restful night.

She slowly got off of Draco, who was still out cold, and looked at the clock on the wall. It was only about half past seven. She wondered briefly who was looking for either one of them as she walked over to the window and opened it, letting the owl fly in. As it landed next to her, she realized the note that was attached to the owl's leg was for her.

"Harry." She whispered his name in a quiet yet aggravated tone. Ginny knew the owner of the owl in front of her instantly. True, Harry did try to apologize earlier, but she had no intention of letting the incident go. She held out her arm and the auburn colored owl fluttered and landed on her shoulder. She ran a hand down the back of the owl to keep it calm as she snuck out of the bedroom.

She heard Draco move slightly, but by the time she turned around and looked at him, he was fast asleep once more. After closing the door, Ginny moved over to the couch where last night started and placed the owl on the table. Immediately, it started to happily jump around, clearly excited to be somewhere new. "Cyprian, stay still." She said quietly, moving forward and struggling slightly to take the note from its leg. It was a shame that Cyprian acted more like Pigwidgeon than Hedwig, honestly.

She shook the thought of Harry's past owl and turned her attention back to the note in her hand. Sure enough, Harry's scribble appeared once she unfolded the parchment. In some places, his handwriting was jagged, as if he were shaking as he wrote the letter.

Ginny-

I was thinking about what you said the other day. I viewed our meeting in the Pensieve over a dozen times. And I know what I did was awful, I know what I did was wrong, and I know you could never forgive me for it.

And that's okay.

But I just want a chance to talk to you… it doesn't have to be about that night. It could be about your job hunt or we could invite your brother and Hermione if you don't want it to be us two alone.

I'm not even looking at a relationship- I'm looking at being friends again and getting your trust back. Please, humour me and come by my flat- we'll have a butterbeer or tea, my treat. Either send Cyprian with a time, or just show up… I really couldn't care less as long as you come eventually.

-Harry

As she finished reading his words on the parchment, her gut instinct was to burn the paper and send the owl back to Harry with a strongly worded letter. However, after a second read-through, she determined that an angry response would probably be a bad idea. She couldn't remember a time that Harry was as shaken up as he seemed in the letter.

She gave a heavy sigh and took a quill off of the table where Cyprian stood. On the back of Harry's note, she replied in what she thought could be perceived as a short tone.

Harry,

Perhaps we could meet for tea around three this afternoon?

I won't promise you anything regarding relationship or even a friendship, but today could be a day to talk things out.

Sincerely,

Ginny

She looked over the note once more and, after a few rereads in different tones of voice, thought it was pretty good. When she normally wrote Harry, back when they were still together anyway, she would always sign it "Love, Ginny". She hoped that he would notice the strange sign off and realize that she was still hesitant to trust him again. With that thought, she folded the note closed, attached it to Cyprian's leg and sent the owl out the window.

A few minutes passed where Ginny stood at the window, watching the black shape of an owl disappear into the morning clouds. Harry really was a sweet guy sometimes, but he just lost control of himself when he needed to keep calm. She wondered how much he was affected by the war. Maybe he only had enough willpower to stay in control while he was in the Auror office. Her worried thoughts left her, however, when the sound of a door opening behind her caught her attention.

Draco emerged from the dark room with his blond hair messed up in a way that made Ginny give him a silly grin. He was in the middle of a yawn as he stretched and started to speak. "Whatchu doing up?" He said, almost struggling with the words. Ginny couldn't help but notice how adorable he sounded before realizing what was going on.

She just turned away from the window and started to walk into the kitchen area. "Oh nothing… an owl just came by…" she said vaguely. She almost smiled at the thought that she might have sounded like Luna for a moment. "I have a job interview. Around three, so I'll be gone then." She said as she started to pour herself a bowl of cereal.

The sound of bare feet walking across the wooden floor echoed in her ears as arms wrapped around her middle. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Draco leaning against her shoulder. Ginny leaned back into him and nuzzled her cheek against his as he squeezed her against him in a way that made her let out a little squeal. "I'm so proud of you." He whispered into her ear.

She put down the box of cereal and turned towards him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. "Oh yeah?" She asked.

"Yeah." His smile was gentle, his grey eyes soft as he looked over her face. "You're one of the strongest women I know. After what happened with Harry, you were able to leave him behind and move on." Draco's words made her stomach churn into a knot. "What job are you interviewing for?"

For some reason the change of subject, to the lie she was telling him, made her relax a little. "Some position with the ministry, I think." She lied without a moment's hesitation. "They didn't specify the department."

Draco shrugged a little and kissed her nose. "I don't really care. I'm just happy things are looking up for you." He said. With that, he let go of her and walked back into the bedroom. A minute or so later, she heard the shower turn on.

Ginny turned her back to the door and started going about her morning biting her lip nervously. Between the letter that came this morning and what happened last night, she couldn't even lie to herself and say that things were looking up for her. In fact, she was fairly certain she was more confused this morning than she was last night.

Three o'clock came fast… too fast for Ginny. For a good majority of the hours and minutes leading up to the now-dreaded hour, she paced in the living room of Draco's apartment. She was too anxious to go to her own apartment and even though Draco went to work, he let her stay to brew tea or clean up or whatever she desired.

What she desired, though, was to take back the note she sent Harry earlier today. She wanted to avoid him like the plague. She had even expressed this to Draco earlier, who just told her, rather pointedly, she should just suck it up and deal with it. She would have to see Harry again sooner or later, and she might as well do it while he felt guilty and wasn't going to try anything on her.

At the stroke of three, Ginny took a deep breath, turned on her heel and Disapparate, appearing in an alley by Harry's flat. It was her normal Apparating spot for when she normally went to his place.

She walked out of the shadows and into the light of the street as she went off to find his apartment building. Once she found it, she went inside to the number 212 and brought her hand up to knock.

The sound made her stomach feel dead and full of dread. The feelings only intensified when the door opened to reveal Harry. He was wearing the maroon button down shirt she liked with black pants. She had always told him to wear that when they went out together- she wondered if he did this to impress her.

While she would not let her face give anything away, she could not say the same for him. His green eyes looked over her as if waiting for Molly Weasley type explosion, but at the same time, she could tell he was happy to see her. After a few seconds of awkward silence, fear came over his face that she knew was potential regret growing in him.

At least the feelings were felt on both sides.

Finally, he spoke. "Ginny."

She nodded and smiled a little, despite knowing she should be perfectly mad at him. It wasn't her fault- he was adorable when he was pathetic. Maybe that was why she fell for him so hard the first time. "Hello, Harry."

He stepped aside and motioned for her to come into his semi-familiar flat. It was much larger then her own, of course, and the last time she had been here they had been a happy pair of teenagers that were enjoying their free weekend off the clock. She remembered it well  
 _  
Ginny was pressed up against the wall front door, her purse thrown across the room. It only had been a few moments after they had entered had they started their tango. Harry kept his arms around her holding her firmly and securely as his lips explored her neck, going lower until he looked up at her with puppy dog eyes filled with lust. She smiled and unbuttoned her blouse giving him easy access to the prize that, in reality, they both wanted.  
_  
"How have you been?" Harry asked her as he led her to the sitting room. Harry sat on the couch while Ginny took the armchair by the extinguished fireplace. It reminded her of being at Hogwarts. It was ironic how she thought her years at Hogwarts were the simplest of her life.

She shrugged a little as she pulled her legs up into the chair and held them against her chest. It was a horrible habit, especially now that she was an adult, but while she was in company of people she knew, she felt like she could do it without being judged. "Alright." She said almost quietly.  
 _  
They had moved to the couch and she was laying down, staring at Harry who was smiling over her. Her blouse was now fully open and lying under her, the only thing keeping it on her was her arms which were still through the sleeves. "You look beautiful." He whispered to her before taking her lips into a kiss. Ginny, who didn't feel particularly pretty today, voiced this opinion when they separated to breathe. "But you look beautiful to me." Harry said, the love in his eyes matching his voice. With that, Ginny grabbed his collar and brought him down to a passion-filled kiss that got her moaning and his hands roaming.  
_  
"Where have you been staying? Hermione said she's tried to find you for days and you're never at your apartment." Harry said. He got up and grabbed two bottles of butterbeer, offering her one.

Ginny took it with a small smile before taking off the cap and taking a sip. It was as cool and refreshing as she remembered it tasting her first time in Hogsmeade. "At Draco's apartment." She said without meeting his eyes. Ginny knew that Harry disapproved of the whole Malfoy clan and wasn't too keen on seeing his reaction to her staying there.

But the words that came next were anything but harsh- rather they were quiet and almost friendly. "He's a decent guy, now." Ginny looked up in surprise. Did Harry just say that Draco Malfoy was a good person? She glanced down at her drink. Was it spiked with something? "After the war, the Auror department took him as a special case. Everything from school was for appearances, for the most part."

"Did you really invite me over to talk about Draco, Harry?" She asked him quietly. She didn't really care if they ended up talking about whatever scraps of a relationship they had, she just prefer them steer their conversation away from a potential Draco-hate session.

She watched him shift uncomfortably on the couch. "Of course not, Gin." He was using that pet name that he thought was _so_ unique. No. She had to be understanding and rational about this. "I just… I want to know what to do. To make you forgive me. Or ignore what happened."

Ginny pulled her legs even closer to her chest, if that was possible. "I'm not coming back to you, Harry. Not yet. It won't be-"

"- like before. I know."  
 _  
Her fingers fumbled with the button and zipper of his jeans, not that they were easy to take off- his cock was erect and firm. Ginny was shaking from excitement though. A bad day of job hunting left her coming back to Harry's apartment seeking his reaffirming words that she wasn't as much of a failure as she thought. In fact, he never once said a bad thing about her or her magical or non magical abilities. He was always sweet to her. Finally, the button unhooked, the zipper slid down and she took the hard in her hands, rubbing it in a way to make him bite back a few moans._

There were a few silent moments where she slowly let her legs slip off of the seat cushion and into the 'proper' position for sitting. "Harry… why couldn't you have just let me be? I left and went to Draco's." She said quietly, looking at him. "Why'd you write back? After all this time?"

Harry's eyes moved to his feet and Ginny could tell that he was thinking over the words very carefully. She thought it would do him some good. "Ginny. You've been part of my life since I was eleven." He paused and she looked away to avoid his eyes. It was a silly school girl thing to do, but she knew he was just trying to win her over. "I couldn't image you being out of my life forever. Not after all we've been through."

Ginny's heart ached slightly, but it was short lived as it was quickly infused with anger. He was playing her! He knew she adored their summers together since she was little. He knew how terrified she was when he, Ron and Hermione ran off during her sixth year. He was just saying what she wanted to hear to get what he wanted from her.

But there was always that possibility that he was being serious wasn't there?

She looked up at his eyes that were shamefully looking at his feet and thought that the possibility was more of a reality then she thought. "I made a giant mistake, Ginny. Please don't let me lose my best friend because of that." His voice was barely above a whisper at this point.

But she smirked at him and shook her head slightly. "I haven't told Ron or Hermione, so I think you're in the clear." She said with a joking smile. Harry looked a little shocked that she took that approach, but followed the look of horror with a small smile. The happy atmosphere was welcomed and she let it rest between them before continuing. "Harry. I love you, I always will. But right now, I need some time alone to think things over."

Harry seemed a little surprised at her words and his smile quickly disappeared. "So why are you with Draco all the time now then?" Not for the first time, his voice had more than a few hints of anger in it. Ginny glared at him, even as he quickly followed up with, "I didn't mean that!" She stood up, the glare still going strong in his direction, and dropped her voice as she started to talk.

"Don't lie to me anymore, Harry." She whispered, her eyes narrow. "I know you meant every word of that." Did he look offended at her words or was that just how she perceived it? "Right now, Draco's done more for me than you've ever done. So I'd be careful of what you say to me, Harry Potter."

His face grew pale as she turned her back to him and started for the door before his voice shouting behind her. "Wait!" Ginny couldn't help but grin to herself at the sound of desperation in his voice. "I- I ended up talking to people the other day. The Holyhead Harpies are looking for a new player. I thought you might be interested, so I sent them your name." He sounded a little breathless, as if this was a last ditch effort to win her heart.

Despite this knowledge, his voice washed over her like an ice cold bucket of water that made her stop in her tracks. The Holyhead Harpies? They were her favorite Quidditch team ever since she was little (no matter how hard Ron tried to make her support the Chudley Cannons). Half of her wanted to flat out refuse his offer just because he was the one offering it; however Ginny knew she was in no position to decline a potential job interview just because she was angry at Harry. "What do you say?"

Finally, she turned around to look at her childhood crush in all his black haired, green eyed beauty. "You can tell them that I'll owl them myself. I don't need your help to get a job, Harry." He looked a little hurt at her words, but it wasn't exactly her fault, was it? This whole thing could be avoided if he hadn't been so stupid and ignorant.

"I do appreciate it though, Harry. Don't you worry about that." She walked up to him and gave him a small hug. When she pulled away, she placed her right hand gently on his cheek. "I love you. But you need to work on how you deliver messages. You come off a little harsh." Ginny gave him a soft grin before a quiet goodbye and leaving his flat.

Once outside, she walked down the hall quickly, using all her energy to avoid actually jogging or running. She turned a corner and leaned against a wall, her whole body shaking from the encounter. She wasn't sure why she the feeling in her stomach seemed to borderline nausea, or why the hand that touched his face seemed cold. As tears started to make their way down her face, Ginny slid down the wall, her face buried deep in her hands.

Two hours later, Ginny sat on the couch at Draco's apartment with his arm around her, his hand moving up and down her arm in a gentle comforting way. She had retold her encounter with Harry to him and was now struggling to comprehend why it shook her to the core.

"You're just afraid he'll hurt you again." Draco's voice was quiet and Ginny could tell that he was trying to comfort her, but it was hard to take his words and believe them as truth. "I can see it in your eyes."

She was torn. Half of her really did want to give Harry the benefit of the doubt. He seemed genuinely apologetic when she met with him earlier. And she really did love him- it wasn't a lie just to calm him down. However, the other part of her knew that what he did, he did without mercy, without any second thoughts.

Without much of a warning at all, Ginny turned into Draco's arms and hugged him tight. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring you into this." She whispered into his shoulder.

He held her in his arms and gave a shrug that she could only feel. "I'm here for you. Whether it was on purpose to get me involved or not, I am now. I will protect you." He told her quietly. Ginny looked up at him, not really hearing him.

Protecting her?

What had happened to her over the years out of Hogwarts? She used to be so independent, so against anyone's protection that she was willing to push herself to her limits to prove them she didn't need protecting. During her time in Dumbledore's Army, she proved to be one of the better witches of the group, eventually leading it with Luna and Neville in her sixth year.

No one held her back. Ever.

"Thanks." She said. Both her voice and her body felt empty and cold. It wasn't anything close to a heartfelt statement but she knew he needed to hear it.

She didn't want him to think that anything was wrong, even though she felt as if she had a beach ball in her throat. So she stayed against his shoulder for a few minutes more before thanking him again and returning to her room, her mind reeling.

Looking back at her last few weeks with Draco, she realized that he was treating her utterly… feminine. She was treated like a girl, like a lady, at nearly all times. Draco was always watching over her shoulder as she did simple household spells and potions. Ginny was always treated as if she was made out glass and could easily make a mistake that could rock the foundation of the building. Harry had never done that, had he? He let her do her own thing, be independent and do things on her own without his supervision.

While it was nice to get that treatment from a man every now and again, but that wasn't who she was; it wasn't Ginny Weasley. It annoyed her that he treated her so nice, with such precaution.

She found herself pacing her small room at a quickening speed, but every time she lost her train of thought, her footsteps slowed. She didn't know what to think about it all, her heart was being torn in two different directions and there was absolutely no compromise.

Someone was going to be disappointed in the end, and she was sure as hell it wasn't going to be her.

Draco must have realized that he said something wrong, because over the next few days he stopped hovering over her shoulder and double checking on her spell work. It was rather nice and she was staring to relax more around him. So much so, in fact, that when she came back from her Quidditch try out with the Harpies, she ran into his apartment and wrapped her arms around his neck, a smile plastered on her face.

"So... I take it that the interview went well?" He joked, putting his arms around her waist despite the sweat that coated her. He leaned against the kitchen counter momentarily to help

She couldn't help but laugh and snuggled her face into his shoulder. "It was great. I got 8 out of 10 goals on their keeper, and caught the snitch more times than anyone else."

His eyes were full of pride as she pulled back to look at him. "I bet you got the position, didn't you?" Draco looked her up and down with a smirk on his face. "I can already see you in those green robes flying high over the stadium. I think you'd look gorgeous."

Ginny couldn't help herself as she broke out in laughter before calming herself down and kissing him teasingly on the side of his mouth. "I made the team. I'm a sub for now, but they said they'll give me a permanent position in a few days."

His jaw slacked as his eyes lit up, causing Ginny to smile as he leaned in and kissed her passionately. "I don't think you've been any sexier to me than you are right now." He breathed when their lips parted.

"You've always been this sexy to me… ever since you helped me that day." She whispered to him with a hint of a growl in her voice as she toyed with his collar. He laughed a little as she started to kiss him down his cheek and down his collarbone, stopping at where his shirt prevented her from continuing.

He shifted her by holding her a little higher up, letting his hard press against her thigh which made her smirk back at him as her hands traveled down his chest. Her hands reached his pants and started to play with the button, looking into his eyes for confirmation that she was doing the right thing.

The brilliant grey eyes told her to keep going, not to stop, so she obeyed eagerly.

Draco's hands moved down to grip her ass and slid underneath the robe she was wearing and carefully slipped two fingers into her horribly wet folds. Her head flew back as her hand moved down, unzipping his pants and tugging them down, letting them fall to the ground. He took the hand that wasn't in her and yanked down his underwear before replacing his fingers with his hard.

She moved against him slowly, enjoying every second of it. She felt his hands grip her sides and start to move her faster but she moaned quietly in protest. "No." She whispered.

He gripped her a little harder, his nails digging into her thigh. "Faster. Move faster." He said through grit teeth as his hands moved awkwardly against her thigh.

"No… I like it slow." She whispered with a hint of need in her voice. Her hands traveled from his neck to his hands where she gripped them, trying to pull his nails out of her skin. "Please, it's my night."

The grey in his eyes suddenly turned from light and joyful to dark and menacing. "No. We do as I say. Move. Faster." He said. His voice now had a darker tone then she ever remembered it being, even when they were in school.

Ginny's eyes widened at his voice and reaction, a mix of fear and anger rising within her. She lifted herself up as to drive into him again but instead jumped off of him, her hands finally ripping his off of her. The minute that her feet were on the floor, she raised her right hand and slapped him hard across the face. "Don't you dare talk to me that way, Draco Malfoy."

He looked more than a little surprised as his pale face started to grow redder. "What are you talking about? Ginny, get back here-"

"No! You can't tell me what to do. I am not just a house elf for you to boss around and monitor while I slave away." The voice that came out of her mouth was barely hers. It was full of spite, anger and hate towards the man. "Don't even send me an owl. You're worse than Harry." She quickly adjusted her Quidditch practice robes before turning on her heel and leaving the door she had entered less than an hour ago.

When she reached the street to Apparate, she wondered where she would go. She thought briefly of going to Hermione to talk about what just happened, but something told her not to… it'd be two awkward, she had always thought that Hermione had an eye for Draco anyway.

She passed by a shop and looked into the glass's reflection. She looked fairly composed and didn't look too roughed up, so in a spontaneous decision, she turned on her heel and appeared a block away from Harry's apartment.

After climbing the two stories to his door, she knocked quietly and stared at her shoes as she waited patiently for the door to open. And when the door finally opened, Harry seemed surprised to see her standing outside. "Hello Ginny." He said curiously.

"Hey Harry." She said quietly. She felt ashamed that she ended up here, for some reason. Why did she have to run from one boy to the other when something went wrong? "I just wanted to let you know, I got the position."

He frowned a little, despite the good news, and waved her inside. She grinned thankfully and walked into the apartment as he closed the door and towards the kitchen. When he disappeared, she walked awkwardly around the living room for a minute or two before sitting down on the couch, her stomach uneasy.

Harry came back with two Firewhiskies and sat down beside her as she took a bottle. "What happened?" She couldn't help but smile at her bottle, knowing that he knew her so well. It was strange. Despite how badly she treated him and disregarded his apologies, he still was trying to comfort her… and he didn't even know what was wrong.

"I don't know. I was with Draco…" She said. Now thinking it over, she was pretty irrational about walking out on the other man, even less rational to go back to Harry about it. "He wouldn't let me do anything by myself. He always wanted to control me." She let her voice die out. It was a stupid reason. She knew it. Draco knew it, if he cared enough. Harry probably knew it and was probably seconds away from telling her so.

He did laugh though, but not in a mean way. "Yes, I do suppose you wouldn't like that much." Harry said thoughtfully. "You've always been that way, Gin." He took a drink of his Firewhiskey as she stared at him, clearly surprised. "You're a strong willed person, never letting anyone get the better of you, much less take advantage of you. That's how I fell for you back in school, why I didn't care about you being Ron's sister. You're strong… and no one can ever change that."

Ginny's mouth dropped as she brought her bottle to her lips, but not tilting it back to drink just yet. Her mouth dry and her body felt a combination of cold and warmth at his words. She went to speak, but said nothing, words escaping her for the first time in ages.

"I guess that's why I've always chosen you over Cho, even when I was chasing after her. She had to be taken care of. She was more of a pet than a girlfriend. You? You can take care of yourself and more." He said. Ginny finally tilted the bottle of Firewhiskey back, letting the liquid warm her on the inside. "I know I acted wrongly, and I know you're tired of hearing it. I think I just wanted to see if I could have control myself. To see how it felt against you." His voice was now quiet and she had sunk back into her couch. "It felt wrong. I didn't like it. I didn't mean you to hurt you… in any way."

She looked up to see his eyes staring at her intensely; she could feel her own cheeks starting to burn. "It's alright, Harry." She said softly, looking back at her drink. No, it probably wouldn't be okay, as it would be continually in the back of her mind as something he had done, but for now it'd be alright. For now, he was forgiven.

An almost awkward silence fell over the two of them, but she felt horribly calm through it all. "Are you set up at your place? Or do you need some help with anything?" It was clear that he was offering to help her move out of Draco's place, but it wouldn't be too hard. She had most of her things in her own apartment, since his place had nearly everything, but it wouldn't be too hard to get the stuff that was as Draco's.

"No. I'm alright." She said with a quiet smile. He smiled too, his green eyes lighting up the room. She was almost surprised that he could smile right now, but she suspected he was slightly calmer than she felt. It wasn't really that hard to image- she was still a little uneasy about coming back to his place.

He gave a pleased little laugh as he took another sip of his drink. She tried to relax a little as she mirrored his actions when he spoke. "Well, what do you want to do now?"

Ginny grinned at the way he said it. His eyes sparkled as if he was planning a Fred and George type prank, or the next day would be the trip back to Hogwarts. "I don't know, Mr. Potter. You tell me what you have planned."

Harry laughed as he buried himself deeper into the couch. "It's as if you think I have everything planned." Ginny forgot how charming his smirk was.

She shrugged slightly and took another sip of Firewhiskey. She couldn't say she was relaxed completely around him yet, but she was getting there. "I like to think you do." She said with a grin.

He laughed cheerily as he brought his legs up onto the couch to cross his legs. "I don't know, Ginny, things that you imagine in your head often turn out differently in real life." Ginny laughed, thinking over the last month or two.

"You have no idea."


End file.
